This invention relates to bird cages and more particularly to many aspects of cages that provide substantial advantages over the cages of the prior art. Various aspects of the present invention are briefly described in this introduction with references to the prior art.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention, the bird cage is designed to retain a very high percentage of waste generated by the bird or birds in the cage rather than allowing the waste to be ejected from the cage into the surrounding area. This is accomplished by means of a special bird cage base assembly that includes a baffle configuration about its periphery that prevents the waste from flying out of the cage as the bird flaps its wings flying about in the cage. In addition, the cage includes corner towers that also act as shields or baffles to prevent seed shells generated while a bird is feeding from being ejected out of the cage.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the base includes a unique drawer configured to cause all of the waste generated in the cage to drop into it. This is achieved by making the drawer with a greater area than the foot print of the living space within the cage. This arrangement not only prevents the waste from being ejected from the cage onto the floor, but also prevents the waste from falling into the base of the cage. Consequently the owner of the cage need only clean the drawer and does not need to dismantle the cage to clean both the base and the drawer.
Another aspect of the present invention is to configure the cage so that the birds in it may be seen clearly from any angle, either through the wire grills that define the sides of the cage or through the towers that form part of the cage frame. This is accomplished by making the towers of light pervious material such as transparent or translucent plastic that produces a bay window effect so that the birds in the cage may be seen clearly through the towers themselves at the cage corners. This construction avoids the prison-like feeling of the typical prior art bird cages while retaining the wire grills for improved ventilation and further enables a bird to climb everywhere in the cage.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, feeding stations are provided for the bird which are accessible from the outside of the cage. A seed cup support moves between a first position to define a perch for a bird when the seed cup is in place on the support within the cage, and a second position to block the opening in the cage in which the feeding station is mounted, when the seed cup is withdrawn from the cage interior. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, feeding stations are provided in the four towers at the corners of the cage.
As yet another aspect of the invention, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the bird cage is provided with perches that may be oriented in alternative positions on the towers so as to position the bird either closer to or remote from the tower wall. This is accomplished by providing the perches with a bowed configuration and with fasteners that engage fasteners in the towers or in the seed cups. In one position, the bowed perches curve away from the towers so as to position a bird standing on them further away from the tower wall and in an alternative position in which the curve extends closer to the tower wall and positions the bird close to the tower. The tower acts as a window and allows a full view of the bird.
The wire grills that define the sides, front and back of the cage are all individually removable. For ease of manufacture, the grills are all generally rectangular in shape and easily snap in and out of connectors in the towers. A removable top grill is also incorporated into the cover assembly of the cage. When in place, the cover creates a large arc in the grill for tension so that the top grill remains in place. The open configuration provided by the top grill further enhances the visibility of the cage interior, maximizes air circulation, increases the climbing area for the birds, increases the volume of the cage and follows the normal flight path of a bird within the cage.
Yet another aspect of the present invention resides in the configuration and operation of a wire grill door or doors that are of maximum width for easy entry and egress for the bird or birds to and from the cage interior. Furthermore, the doors are mounted so that they may pivot outwardly or inwardly with respect to the cage. When opened outwardly, the wire grill door hangs close to the side of the cage and does not extend outwardly a great distance from the cage. This avoids the likelihood of anyone accidentally hitting the door and either injuring him or herself or damaging the cage. The ability to fold the wire grill door inwardly is particularly advantageous when the bird cage is left open to allow the bird or birds to fly freely in and out of the cage, as the door provides a convenient landing area inside the cage when the bird returns to the cage. If when standing on the inwardly folded door, the bird creates droppings, the droppings will fall to the base assembly and land in the drawer rather than be ejected onto the floor. Also, when the door is folded inwardly, it provides a labyrinth for a bird when climbing as the bird can climb on both the upper and lower surfaces of the horizontal door.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a bottom wire is provided in the cage supported in a removable drawer forming part of the base assembly. By opening the drawer just a few inches, the bottom wire may be withdrawn for cleaning or any other purpose. In most prior art cages, the bottom wire may be removed only by removing the cover of the cage, which is awkward and requires the removal of the birds from the cage.
Yet another aspect of the present invention resides in the unique cage cover that incorporates a carrying handle that enables the cage to be hung from the ceiling. The cover is principally defined by a peripheral frame and the cover grill. The grill defines a landing area for the bird when left to fly about the room in which the cage is located. The contours of the cage cover frame are not suitable for a bird to stand on so that the bird will stand only on the wire grill, causing its droppings to enter the cage and be collected in the drawer.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the cage may be expanded so as to increase it capacity. In accordance with one embodiment thereof, this is achieved simply by removing the cover assembly of the cage and mounting an additional set of towers that may be substantially identical to the original towers already incorporated into the cage, and reconnecting the cover to the tops of the added towers. Additional wire grills may be connected to the new upper section of the cage so as to complete the expansion. The additional towers may include additional feeding stations, and adapters may be employed to mount the additional towers on the originals.
Another aspect of the present invention is the modular construction of the cage which enables it to be shipped and stored in pieces and yet is easy for the consumer to assemble and disassemble.
Another aspect of the present invention is the ability of the bird cage to function as a stand alone on the floor or on a table or on a matching stand which is also of knock-down construction. The stand in accordance with this aspect of the invention preferably includes a storage compartment for seed bags or other material used in connection with the cage, and the stand may be filled with bagged sand or bags of water so as to increase its stability.
The various aspects of the present invention will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description read in connection with the accompanying drawings.